BEREA, Ohio – A Winter Haven, Florida man, 48, was cited Oct. 16 after the semi-tractor truck he was driving slammed into the bottom of a bridge and brought a down power line on North Rocky River Drive.
The incident occurred at about 9 a.m. Sept. 17. A witness called police and said the truck had become stuck under a railroad overpass on North Rocky River near Karen Drive. The truck’s trailer was too tall to clear the bridge.
As the truck driver backed the trailer away from the bridge, a power line fell to the ground. The driver then maneuvered the truck over a curb and a sidewalk, through a front yard and back onto North Rocky River southbound.
The truck, as it moved forward, dragged the power line, which a second witness said was sparking. A building in the area lost power.
When police arrived, dozens of vehicles were stopped on both southbound and northbound North Rocky River due to the downed power line.
Police knew that most tractor trailers enter Berea at North Rocky River and Sheldon Road. They checked data from a license-plate-reading camera at North Rocky River and Sheldon and learned that only one truck had recently passed through that intersection.
The camera had photographed the truck’s license plate number, which police traced to the vehicle’s owner. Eventually, police learned the identity of the Florida man who was driving the truck.
Police called the man, who admitted that he was driving the truck Sept. 17 but denied hitting anything with the truck or causing damage. He asked police if he needed a lawyer.